Institute Automation System

Institute Automation System is a full-stack web application designed to automate and streamline various institutional processes. The system consists of a backend server built with Node.js and Express, and a frontend client developed using React.js.

Table of Contents

• Project Structure
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Running the Application
• Environment Variables
• Seeding the Database
• Running Tests
• Technologies Used
• Folder Structure
• Contributing
• License

Project Structure

This repository contains two main parts:

• api/: The backend server built with Node.js and Express.
• client/: The frontend client built with React.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (version 16 or higher)
• npm (Node package manager)

Installation

Backend

1. Navigate to the backend directory:

   cd api

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

Frontend

1. Navigate to the client directory:

   cd client

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

Running the Application

Backend Server

To run the backend server, use:

cd api
npm run dev

Frontend Client

To start the frontend development server, use:

cd client
npm start

Environment Variables

Create .env files in both the api and client directories and add appropriate environment variables.

Example: api/.env

RAZORPAY_KEY_ID= 
RAZORPAY_KEY_SECRET= 
PORT=8000 # Or any port you prefer for the backend
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=
MONGODB_URI=

Example: client/.env

REACT_APP_RAZORPAY_KEY_ID = 
GENERATE_SOURCEMAP=false

Seeding the Database

To seed the database with initial data, run:

cd api
npm run seed

Running Tests

To execute the backend test suite:

cd api
npm run test

Technologies Used

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB
• Mongoose
• JWT Authentication
• Jest for testing

Frontend

• React.js
• React Router
• Context API
• Axios

Folder Structure

Backend (api/)

controllers/       - Handles route logic
database/          - Database connection
helpers/           - Utility functions
middleware/        - Auth and error handlers
models/            - Database schemas/models
routes/            - API route definitions
scripts/           - Custom scripts (e.g., seeders)
tests/             - Test cases
utils/             - Common utility code
index.js           - Main entry point

Frontend (client/)

public/            - Static files
src/
  assets/          - Images and other assets
  components/      - Reusable UI components
  context/         - Global state management
  pages/           - React page components
  utils/           - Utility functions
  App.jsx          - Main application component
  index.js         - React app entry point

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Please fork the repository and submit a pull request with your proposed changes. Ensure your code is well-documented and tested.